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Annulment

I am often asked, “What is the difference between annulling a marriage and divorce?” Or, asked “Can’t I just get my marriage annulled? We were married for a short period?”

An annulment of marriage can only be requested based on one of the reasons below. If you are seeking a nullity of marriage or nullity of a domestic partnership, you will need to prove in a court hearing that your marriage satisfies one of the grounds. One of the grounds must have applied at the time you and your spouse married or you and your partner registered:

Incest: Spouses or registered partners are close blood relatives.

Bigamy: A spouse or partner was knowingly married or registered to another person at the time of marriage or at the time of registration of domestic partnership.

Underage: A spouse or partner was below age 18 years at the time of marriage or registration of domestic partnership and did not obtain parental consent or a court order permitting the marriage.

Prior Existing Marriage or Prior Existing Domestic Partnership: A spouse married or a partner registered on the mistaken belief that his or her previous marriage or partnership had ended in the death of the other spouse or partner, who in fact was still living.

Unsound Mind: A spouse or partner could not and has not formed the intent to marry or registered due to a mental condition.

Fraud: Deception regarding a significant matter that led to the marriage or the partnership and continued until the breakup.

Force: Threats or acts of harm were used to force one spouse or partner into the marriage or domestic partnership.

Incapacity: A spouse or partner was and continues to be physically unable to consummate the marriage or partnership.

Often the reason people enquire about annulment is they don’t want “a marriage on their record.” Translation: It was a mistake and they don’t want to be known as a divorced person. In some cases these feelings are understandable, but usually, you are better off simply getting a divorce known in court as a marital dissolution.

The reason you are better off getting a divorce (marital dissolution) as opposed to attempting to annul the marriage is that you don’t have to prove anything about your spouse or the state of the marriage to obtain a divorce.

For dissolution of marriage or legal separation in California, there are two legal grounds. The first is irreconcilable differences, meaning the marriage or partnership cannot be saved. You don’t have to prove irreconcilable differences. You must simply state there are irreconcilable differences in your divorce papers, the marital dissolution petition. Your spouse can’t keep you in a marriage if you want out. The second grounds for divorce is that your spouse is incurably insane and while it may be true that your spouse is a kook, you have to prove it in court. Thus, it’s rarely the basis for a petition for dissolution of marriage in California.

It’s also true that there are far fewer annulments than there are divorces. Because you have to prove in court one the eight factors listed above to have your marriage annulled.

Let me help you with your Annulment

So, why does annulment exist? There are situations in which it might make sense to file for an annulment. Fraud is a good reason. If the marriage was a sham and one party intended all along to divorce an annulment might make sense. For instance if a celebrity sold the rights to the publicity of her marriage and the various media that focus on the “private” lives of celebrities paid handsomely for the rights, and if the celebrity had a prenuptial agreement with her betrothed and the prenuptial agreement stated the celebrity would keep all the profits from the media rights to the marriage, and if she never intended to stay married and actually intended to divorce after making as much money as she could from the marriage, her spouse might seek to annul the marriage. If the marriage was annulled then, the prenuptial agreement would never come into effect, and the spouse might be entitled to some of the money generated by selling the media rights to the wedding.

Annulment Lawyer in Los Angeles, CA

I have practiced law in Southern California for more than 25 years, and my highest priority has always been to put my clients’ needs first. I am willing to negotiate early, settle your case, and take your case all the way to court when needed. My unique approach has helped me receive top ratings from both Avvo and Martindale. If you need an Annulment Lawyer, reach out to me today. I will analyze the facts and apply my strong understanding of the law to obtain the best result possible for your case.

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The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship.